There have been many different types and kinds of safety fasteners for helping to prevent the unauthorized removal of table top equipment, such as personal computers, computer printers, typewriters and the like, from a supporting surface, such as a desk top, table top, or the like. One such equipment fastener is disclosed in copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/492,737, which was filed concurrently with this application, and entitled "Equipment Security Apparatus and Kit and Method of Using Same," and the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Conventional equipment fasteners are usually constructed of a rigid material, such as steel or aluminum, to provide the necessary structural integrity, in an attempt to prevent the breaking or destruction of the fastener, by an unauthorized person intending to take the valuable equipment from its resting place. For example, the copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/492,718, discloses a security fastener having a frame which secures the equipment to be protected, to its supporting surface. The frame is constructed of welded steel, for the purpose of providing the necessary structural integrity to prevent the breaking or destruction of the frame should an unauthorized person attempt to remove the equipment secured therewithin.
While such a welded construction may achieve its intended purpose, it requires an expensive and time consuming hand welding operation to produce the desired structurally-strong mechanical joints or bonds between adjoining frame members of the security fastener. Such hand operations are expensive and time consuming, since the welder must use care in welding the various frame members together to provide the necessary structural integrity. In addition, in order to make the fastener aesthetically pleasing in appearance, the welded joint should be ground down to be less noticeable. Such a grinding operation is also expensive and time consuming.
Therefore, it would be highly desirable to have a new and improved security fastener construction, which would eliminate, if not substantially reduce, welding and grinding operations, and yet would retain structural integrity and be aesthetically pleasing in appearance.
Such a construction should be relatively light in weight for facilitating the transportation of the security fastener by a user in an easy and convenient manner, and yet substantially structurally strong and rigid, to maintain structural integrity for preventing unauthorized removal of the secured equipment therefrom. Also, in order to manufacture the fastener, in a cost effective manner, according to modern high speed manufacturing techniques, such a fastener construction should be able to be assembled quickly and efficiently in a relatively cost effective manner.
Conventional equipment security fasteners also by the very purpose of their function, typically include some form of attachment or locking arrangement to secure or fasten the equipment to be protected therewithin, for preventing unauthorized removal of the portable equipment. For example, reference may be made to the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,850,392; 4,065,083; 4,655,429. 4,691,891; and 4,733,840.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,840 discloses a locking arrangement which includes a security plate fixed to the equipment to be protected, and a highly visible lock and security cable for attaching the plate to a stationary surface for preventing the unauthorized taking of the equipment. In this configuration, such a highly visible locking arrangement may be very effective in deterring theft in a factory or school, for example, because the obvious appearance of the lock and cable may tend to discourage a thief from attempting to remove the valuable table top equipment. However, in other settings, such as in an office or executive suite, a bulky lock and cable could be very displeasing aesthetically, and would distract from the appearance of the equipment being secured.
Therefore, it is desirable to have a locking arrangement, whereby the unit to be protected could be easily removed by an authorized person from the security fastener affixing the unit to its supporting surface, and yet have a less apparent locking arrangement, so as not to distract from the appearance of the equipment being employed in a more formal environment, such as in an office or executive suite.
Therefore, it would be highly desirable to have a new and improved security fastener, which enables the equipment being protected to be easily removed by an authorized person, without the use of ugly locks, such as a padlock. Thus, the user could remove the equipment for repair or replacement purposes, and then could again secure the repaired or replacement equipment to the supporting surface in a fast and efficient manner.